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Everything you need to easily get a handle on economic
indicators
In today's volatile, often troubling economic landscape, there
are myriad statistics and reports that paint an economic picture
that can sometimes resemble a work by Jackson Pollock. These
complex and often-conflicting reports could vex even the savviest
investor. Economic Indicators For Dummies explains how to
interpret and use key global economic indicators to make solid
investments, aid in business planning, and help develop informed
decisions. In plain English, it breaks down the complex language
and statistics to help you make sense of this critical
information.
You'll discover how to interpret economic data within the
context of other sometimes-conflicting reports and statistics, and
use the information to make profitable decisions. You'll understand
the meaning of such data as employment indices and housing and
construction stats and how they affect stocks, bonds, commodities
and international markets . . . and how you can use these
statistics to make investment decisions as well as plan strategic
goals for business growth. Economic Indicators For Dummies
breaks down dozens of statistics and patterns to give you a better
understanding of how various sources of data and information can be
used.
Breaks down jargon and statistical concepts
Covers how to use publicly available economic indicators to
better position your portfolio, improve returns, and make sensible,
long-range business plans
Discusses the reliability and timeliness of the collected data,
while helping investors prioritize the flow of economic information
to avoid information overload
Whether you're an investor, economics student, or business
professional involved in making key strategic decisions for your
company, Economic Indicators For Dummies has you
covered.
Auteur
Michael Griffis, MBA, has been an active trader for more than two decades. He has written about stock trading for online audiences, and today writes about investing and marketing for clients in the banking and brokerage industries.
Résumé
Everything you need to easily get a handle on economic indicators
In today's volatile, often troubling economic landscape, there are myriad statistics and reports that paint an economic picture that can sometimes resemble a work by Jackson Pollock. These complex and often-conflicting reports could vex even the savviest investor. Economic Indicators For Dummies explains how to interpret and use key global economic indicators to make solid investments, aid in business planning, and help develop informed decisions. In plain English, it breaks down the complex language and statistics to help you make sense of this critical information.
You'll discover how to interpret economic data within the context of other sometimes-conflicting reports and statistics, and use the information to make profitable decisions. You'll understand the meaning of such data as employment indices and housing and construction stats and how they affect stocks, bonds, commodities and international markets . . . and how you can use these statistics to make investment decisions as well as plan strategic goals for business growth. Economic Indicators For Dummies breaks down dozens of statistics and patterns to give you a better understanding of how various sources of data and information can be used.
Contenu
Introduction 1
About This Book 1
Conventions Used in This Book 2
Foolish Assumptions 3
What Not to Read 4
How the Book Is Organized 4
Part I: Figuring Out the Economy 4
Part II: Making Money, Spending Money: Employment and Consumer Indicators 4
Part III: The Essence of Business: Product and Service Indicators 5
Part IV: Inflation, Productivity, Interest Rates, and Commodities: Oh My! 5
Part V: International Intrigue: Indicators beyond the United States 5
Part VI: The Part of Tens 6
Icons Used in This Book 6
Where to Go from Here 6
Part I: Figuring Out the Economy 7
Chapter 1: Introducing Economic Indicators 9
Understanding What Economic Indicators Are 10
Reading the economy through economic indicators 10
Cycling through economic ups and downs 11
Identifying What Indicators Indicate 12
Tracking consumer spending 12
Looking at the big picture 13
Eyeing manufacturing 14
Counting up the number of bought, sold, and newly built homes 15
Monitoring inflation 15
Measuring productivity 16
Looking at loans and commodity purchases 16
Following worldwide economies 17
Knowing How to Start Following Economic Indicators 18
Analyzing the data 19
Tracking economic indicator release dates 19
Chapter 2: Explaining Economic Jargon 21
Identifying Types of Economic Indicators 21
Summarizing economic results 22
Surveying for information 22
Indexing the economy 24
Understanding How Economists Analyze the Data 27
Measuring growth 27
Annualizing reported data 29
Smoothing data with moving averages 32
Massaging Economic Data to Make the Results More Useful 35
Adjusting for inflation 35
Adjusting for seasonal fluctuations 37
Considering the Timeliness of Economic Indicators 37
Leading indicators make forecasts 38
Coincident indicators are no coincidence 38
Lagging indicators can't foretell the future 39
Looking into the Future with Consensus Forecasts 39
Finding consensus forecasts 40
Analyzing the accuracy of the consensus 40
Amending and Modifying Data with Revision Reports 41
Revising previous reports 41
Changing benchmarks 42
Cha-Ching: Money, Interest Rates, and the Economy 43
Understanding the Fed's monetary measures 43
Setting short- and long-term interest rates 44
Chapter 3: Understanding the Big Picture: The Economy and Its Footprints 45
Taking a Closer Look at the Business Cycle 46
Identifying the phases of the cycle 46
Growing into expansion 49
Slowing into recession 49
Reviewing the Key Financial Markets 50
Investing in stocks 50
Holding bonds 53
Trading commodities 55
Tracking currencies 56
Figuring Out What's What in Economic Reports 57
Finding what's important in each report 58
Seeing how reports are assembled 59
Showing Economic Fashions without the Runway 59
Understanding market sensitivity 60
Determining an indicator's accuracy and timeliness 61
Seeing who's interested in what 61
Part II: Making Money, Spending Money: Employment and Consumer Indicators 65
Chapter 4: Counting Jobs and Unemployment 67
Tracking the BLS Employment Situation Report 68
Counting workers and the unemployed 68
Highlighting key parts of the jobs report 73
Deciphering employment numbers 75
Predicting market reactions due to employment changes 77
Looking at Unemployment Insurance Claims 79
Keeping track of unemployment insurance claims 80 Smoothing jobless claim fluctuations ...